


Bringing Someone Back

by Shock_Value



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Death, Crying, Don't know what to tell ya George is just dead, Dream-Centric, Graphic Depiction of Vomit, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Graphic Description of Corpses, Hallucinations, Happy Ending, I decided to write this for some reason, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light Separation Anxiety, M/M, Minecraft but real life, Miscommunication, Misplaced Emotions, Multi, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma, Trust Issues, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, as happy as you can get with the rest of this shit, each chapter has a gross thing, graphic depictions of injury, it was gonna be a oneshot then i decided it needed to be long and gross, light fluff, misplaced blame, omnipotent beings, sapnap-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:35:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26181244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shock_Value/pseuds/Shock_Value
Summary: "Sap," Dream nudged Sapnap, trying to get him to wake up. "Y'know where George is?"
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 461





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy! I just wanted to write angst.

Dream's right side was cold. The window by that side of the bed was open and it was beginning to become winter. Dream picked up his head to look around. He already had Sapnap cuddled up to his left side but where was George?

_ Where was George… _

"Sap," Dream nudged Sapnap, trying to get him to wake up. "Y'know where George is?"

Sapnap pushed his head further into Dream's side. Dream couldn't see it, but he could feel Sap shake his head.  _ Huh. _ George didn't usually leave without telling at least one of them where he was going. It worried Dream.

Dream grabs his log book from beside the bed. He flips through it, glancing at some of the good times from the years before. He'd linger on them but he had a goal. He was just going to ask George where he was. Hopefully George would have his log book on him and was able to answer.

[ _ Dream: Where are you?] _

_ [GeorgeNotFound: I'm getting the thing ready. Don't worry it'll be fine.] _

_ [Dream: Oh. Okay, see you in the morning.] _

_ [GeorgeNotFound: Goodnight.] _

Dream was satisfied with that. He could sleep now.

When Sapnap felt Dream setting back down on the bed, he wrapped his arm around Dream a little tighter.

  
  
  


Sapnap always found that their room was cold. He didn't mind it, it made it easier to cuddle up with Dream and George when it was cold. 

He could tell Dream was still sleeping, he didn't blame him. It was probably about 5 in the morning and he had a late night. Sapnap also vaguely remembered Dream waking up and asking him something. He was too tired to remember it, though.

The sun was just coming up. Sapnap could hear a light sprinkle letting up. He smiled. It was a nice time to be awake. There was a slight chill that hung around with the smell of the disturbed earth.

He would have sat next to Dream for a little longer if it wasn't for his stomach telling him he needed to eat something. He thinks they might have had some pumpkin pie sitting in their barrel they had put ice in to keep things cold. 

Leaving the warm bed and walking across his chilled floor to get downstairs and to the kitchen felt very drastic for some reason.

When passing by the opening in the wall that led to their living room he caught a glance of George sitting outside on their porch through the window. Sapnap was a bit far from the window so he didn't get a clear view but it seemed like he was admiring what was left of the sprinkles coming down from the sky. They had installed the porch cover when George started sitting outside during rainstorms and would get sick from being wet and cold.

Sapnap found that George was always very pretty when he'd look out into the rain. He may not have said it and would instead make fun of George for it but he couldn't lie to himself. He could also never find himself interrupting George. If it wasn't wasn't raining he would have so they could eat together.

Sapnap found the pie and without bothering to cut a piece from the very obvious half a pie left, he just ate from it out of the pie pan. He was the one who made it and he could always make more if anyone wanted more.

When setting the pie down on the table to get water he noticed George's log book. It was open on the last used page, tinted blue leather reflecting the light coming through their kitchen window.

Sapnap traces the edge of the page, reading over what looked to be a whisper message from Dream to George and George's response.  _ What thing? What was George and Dream getting ready that he didn't know about? _

Sapnap knew it was probably nothing but he couldn't help but feel left out. They needed to trust each other but it made Sapnap feel like he wasn't in on a secret. Anxiety began to pool in his chest. He should just eat his pie.

As soon as he turned away to eat his piehe saw a message pop up. A yellow message. He had already closed the log before seeing it. A yellow message was always something important. A new person coming into the world or a death.

He didn't have his own log book so he flipped open George's book and searched for the page again. Sapnap was guessing someone joined the game, nobody has died in a while, all the players in the world either kept to their homes or were too protected or prepared to die. If someone joined then maybe Dream, George and him could introduce them to the world.

_ Ah. _

Sapnap looked at the yellow message.

_ [GeorgeNotFound was shot by a Skeleton] _

_ No. _

Sapnap looked towards their front windows from his place at the table. He tried to look for George where he had seen him earlier but a beam obstructed the area.  _ No. _

Sapnap was overcome with worry. He could feel his heart at the top of his stomach and in his head. He swallowed a lump in his throat as everything seemed to go in slow motion.

He pushed in his chair as he got up, bare feet hitting the cold floor. He closed his eyes and swallowed, pushing his hands against the wall, hardly feeling them. His throat closed up as he gripped the doorknob and twisted it open slowly.

Although the sun was obstructed by the clouds and the rain was still coming down everything seemed too bright. He could see the back of George's head where he was leaning against the seat of their porch chair, sitting on the dusty wood of the porch. Exactly where he was when Sapnap had seen him this morning.

Sapnap's hands shook with each step he took to get closer to George. He tried to look anywhere but George when he was passing the body, not prepared for anything he could find if he turned around and George wasn't okay.

_ He wasn't okay, was he? _

Sapnap considered turning around, not sure what to expect, he didn't want to have to expect anything in the moment. He didn't want to be who he was in that moment, stalling when he had to see if his friend was alive.

He turns around and he freezes.

He finds George with an arrow going straight into his neck. And Sapnap falls to his knees beside the body.

There was so much blood. It was still dripping from the hole in George's neck, soaking into his already blood covered shirt and eventually the top of his pants. Sapnap could see smears and handprints around George's neck where the arrow was and blood dripping out of his ajar mouth.

There was blood on George's hands and many smears on the floor around him, probably where George struggled to push himself up. He definitely struggled judging by that and the smeared blood by George's feet where his shoes wiped the blood away from a small, thin trail of itself. The trail led down to the porch steps and down into their yard, the rain washing away most of whatever wasn't under the porch cover. Almost none of the blood was dried.

Before Sapnap noticed his hands were getting covered in it as he tried to hold onto George, wishing that this wasn't happening. The body was still warm and Sapnap cried, tears dropping onto the legs of the body.

In that moment Saonap realized that George wasn't dead when he saw him first and if he had just come out to make fun of George like he should have then maybe this wouldn't be happening. They had healing potions that they could have used on him and then George could have been alive.

_ Fuck. _

Sapnap looked up at George's face through his tears and met the glossy, dead ones of George. He needed to get Dream.

And then everything felt all too fast. 

Sapnap ran into the house, tripping on their rug and hitting his shoulder against the wall, making a large bang noise. He stumbled up the stairs, using his arms as support when taking his steps and effectively getting George's blood on the stairs.

"Woah!" Sapnap stops at the top of the steps before feeling Dream's hand on his back before it wrapped around his arm and helped him up. Dream's face showed that he was confused and worried. Sapnap didn't need to see it through his tears to understand that. Dream was a worrier. "Oh, hey, Sap. What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Sapnap grabbed at Dream's shirt, pushing them up so he wouldn't be on the stairs and engulfed him, stuffing his face in Dream's chest.

_ Everything is wrong. _

Sapnap could feel Dream wrap his arms around him and help him to the ground so they could sit.

"What's wrong?"

"George--" Sapnap hiccups, "he's--"

"Where is he?" Dream's tone gets more urgent, he pushes Sapnap away to look at him but keeps his hold tight. Sapnap could see him look down at his shirt. What was left of George's blood that didn't dry on his hands or get left on the stairs had soaked into Dream's shirt. "Sapnap, where's George?"

"On the--" Sapnap swallows, "on the porch."

"Okay, c'mon. Let's go."

"No." Sapnap was shaking his head while Dream got up. Dream had let go of Sapnap but he didn't let go of Dream. Dream had started walking down the stairs before Sapnap got up off the floor. "No, Dream please. I can't go back down there."

Dream turned to look at him and sighs. His hands are shaking and he tries to steady them on Sapnap's arm. "I need to go see what happened, let me go."

Sapnap releases Dream's arm and he starts going down the stairs with him. On the last step Sapnap slips on the blood and grabs at Dream for support. Dream catches him but not before Sapnap's shoulder that he accidentally ran into the wall with burst with pain. He winces and holds his arm to his chest, tears now falling on his hand.

"Let's get you to the couch and you can stay there, okay?" And Dream leads Sapnap to the couch without an answer. When Sapnap sits his hair falls into his face and the end of some strands stick to his wet cheeks.

He hears Dream walk away and go towards the door that was only a few feet away. Sapnap grabs a pillow to hold onto for support and wipes his face, smearing red under his eyes and across the bridge of his nose. He missed the sound of the door opening but the closing of the door seemed way too loud and was followed by Dream's quick and heavy footsteps and a soft knock on the porch deck.

Sapnap's mind was starting to feel like it was buzzing, just like his hands.

A few minutes later, Sapnap heard Dream yell out, probably from the field.field in front of their house. It was a cry of pain and it’s what his own heart was doing in that moment. He squeezes the pillow tighter to his chest, straining his arm but helping him control the shudders going through his body as he sobbed.

Sapnap felt so alone. One of the people he loved just died and the other is screaming to nothing, farther away from the house then Sapnap would like. It was only about 6 in the morning.

Why couldn’t he have just gotten George to have breakfast with him? Why couldn’t he have seen that George was dying before he did? Why didn’t he say good morning to George before getting food?

The pillow would have to be thrown out. They were never going to take time to clean it after this and the blood was going to stain.

_ Uhg--Damnit. _

Dream eventually came inside and sat next to him, shaking and hands also covered in blood. Dream’s hair and shirt were drenched with water. After a moment or two they leaned on each other and held each other close, like they were scared of being separated-- they were actually. Fear had planted a seed in their stomachs and it had made it to their hearts, waiting for them to let it grow more. They couldn’t. They had to believe they still had each other.

They sobbed quietly, nothing needed to know they were home.

The faint smell of rain had made it into their home and the rain hitting the roof grew louder. The sky became a darker shade of grey than it was before and the room copied. Sapnap jumped the first time the thunder sounded and Dream just held on tighter.

They sat like that for hours. They had stopped crying but only because of the exhaustion that took over them. Then they waited for the rain to stop to let go of each other. Both had spots on their clothes from the blood, snot, and tears.

“Could you help me clean up his body?” Dream’s voice was hoarse and choppy. Sapnap couldn’t find it in himself to speak so he just nodded. Sapnap could tell that neither of them wanted to but they had to.

The ground sloshed when they went to look for a cave to put the memorial in. Sapnap slipped on a rock or two but did find a nice indent in a cave wall for it. He made sure Dream was okay with it and they went back to go get the body.

The body had become cold and heavy, rigor mortis had set in and the body became very difficult to move. George’s skin had become ashy and it was painful for both Sapnap and Dream to see.

They left one of George’s cornflower plants in a pot by the memorial and went home.

The house felt empty without George.

Dream and Sapnap didn’t leave each other’s sides for the rest of the day and took care of each other to the best of their abilities. They got the blood of each other and the stairs, throwing away any clothes or objects they wouldn’t be able to clean.

George had had his diamond pickaxe on him when he died. They wiped it clean and leaned it by the door. Whether Dream pointing it in the direction of the memorial was intentional or not, he didn’t care.

Sapnap slept and Dream woke up at 3 in the morning to vomit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before they finally go on their trip.
> 
> This chapter is the reason for the vomit warnings.

Dream sat up in bed, Sapnap was laying next to him, tear stained and probably sharing the heartbreak that Dream felt. The moon was nowhere to be seen and Dream could hear bugs buzzing outside.

He was woken up by sickeningly sharp pains in the pit of his stomach, the kind that made you feel dizzy. His stomach churned as he moved his abdomen. He thought he might be able to lay back down and sleep it off but that was disproven when his throat closed up and he gagged.

Dream quickly covered his mouth and rushed out of his bed, hearing Sapnap groan from the sudden movement. He rushed down the stairs, almost slipping and accidentally skipping the last step, landing hard on his feet making him feel even more nauseous than he already was. He makes a beeline through his kitchen to his back door and out onto their back porch where he keeled over.

His knees hurt from the sudden impact against the wood and one hand was covered in vomit,supporting his upper body weight, and the other pressed up against his stomach in some sort of reach for comfort. His hands shook as he heaved on to the porch and grass next to it and tears started filling his eyes. The sound of his gagging and the feeling of undigested chunks of food only made him more nauseous and the sour and sharp smell filled his nostrils.

Some thick snot and vomit mixture started dripping out of his nose as any food in his stomach left his body. Something large came up and he choked on it and it struggled to leave his mouth so he took his clean hand and pulled it out before slamming that hand onto the porch and heaving. Now all that was coming out of him was stomach acid and it burned his throat and tongue.

He stopped gagging by now and all he could do was sob as his arms gave up on him and he landed on his elbows. The thing he pulled out of his mouth was still in his hand and he squeezed it trying to get some tension out of himself. His hair and forehead rested in some stray puddles of stomach acid and vomit. His body was trembling.

While still crying he lifted his body and opened his eyes for the first time. The vomit shone in the moonlight and he could see the chunks in it. He was too overwhelmed and tired to move away from the disgusting liquid. He brings his hand into vision and peels it open to find a soggy piece of paper.

Slowly unfolding it, half from his inability to keep his hands still and from trying not to rip it, he's able to find words written on the inside. Dream wipes the built up tears from his eyes, getting bile on his nose and in his eyebrows, two read it.

_ Do you want him back? _

And Dream immediately feels ill again. He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry himself to sleep.

Maybe he'd die. Maybe a skeleton could come and shoot him just like one shot George. Maybe he could  _ just fucking die-- _

Sapnap. He couldn't do that to Sapnap. He loved Sap too.

Dream took a deep breath before looking at the note again.

_ We need you to help us and you could get him back. _

_ Look at the last page of your log book for instructions. _

Dream choked back a sob. What kind of sick joke was this? He looked up at the sky, wanting to scream even louder than he did when he saw George. He wanted to curse the gods for tearing up his family.  _ They were so happy together. _

The vomit had mostly dried on his hand but he tore and squeezed the paper in his hands, it dripped and made the vomit wet again.

All he could do was cry as everything in his body felt like it was shaking on its own.

He was the reason George was out there during the night. He was the one who said that they were going to have to work on Sapnap's birthday surprise when Sapnap was sleeping. He was the one stupid enough to think that that was a good idea.

After a few minutes of sitting there and considering just sitting down fully and sleeping there, he feels a hand on his shoulder and someone shaking him.

He knew it was Sapnap since Sapnap was probably the only other person for miles and he could tell that Sapnap was probably trying to talk to him but he couldn't hear anything past his own groaning and heartbeat. 

He feels Sapnap tug him from the back of his shirt and pull him up. He could feel Sapnap shake every few seconds, probably also crying, and all of a sudden Dream is inside on the kitchen floor with a wet cloth wiping down his shaking hands.

"Dream? Are-- are you back?" Sapnap asked him from his spot in front of Dream. His voice was shaking and full of concern and sadness. Dream couldn't answer, his emotions had fully silenced him so he halfway nodded before hunching down and taking a deep breath, it burned the back of his throat. 

He could feel Sapnap grip his wrist as a way of comfort.

Dream scrunched up his face, his forehead skin and hair being pulled slightly from being dried together, and some flakes of bile chipped off of his face and glided to the floor.

Sapnap moved on to Dream's other hand.

Dream felt like every bone in his body needed to be popped or broken multiple times. His heart felt like it was shaking in his ribcage.

"Dream, can you help me please? I don't know how much more I could help." Sapnap's hands had started shaking from their place on his hand and wrist and his voice shook. Tears other than Dream's own hit the floor.

Dream, finding his voice, can only hoarsely whisper, "I'm sorry."

A new wave of sobs took control of Dream's body as Sapnap joined in.

"I'm-- I'm sorry. I'm so  _ fucking _ sorry." Dream continued, Sapnap's hand had been brought up to his face and they held him. "I love you so goddamn much. Please--" Another sob stops Dream and Sapnap holds his face tighter. Dream leans into the touch.

He feels Sapnap take a hand away for a second and he whimpers before Sapnap is able to bring the wet cloth up to his face to wipe away the puke. The cloth was cold but it helped him ground himself a bit.

Dream brought his shaking hand up to Sapnap's and takes the cloth away from him to finish cleaning off his face. Sapnap lets him and quickly brings his hand down to Dream's shoulder before pulling him into a hug that might have made cleaning his face off harder, but he needed it. It seemed like Sapnap also needed it judging by the way he clenched his shirt and clung on to him.

Dream finished cleaning off his face and picked out as much of the vomit out of his hair. He would need to wash it but it was fine for now.

He dropped the cloth onto the kitchen floor and wrapped his arms around Sapnap's waist and tried to get the best grip on him before pulling him closer. His body was still weak and shaking and his arms hurt from how hard his hold on Sapnap was but he couldn't let go.

"I miss George." Sapnap whispers over Dream's shoulder and Dream hiccups before burying his face into Sapnap's shoulder and letting a few out.

"I do too." He whispered out.

"It-- it was dark out there. You could have gotten hurt." Sapnap cried into Dream's shoulder. It was muffled by the fabric of Dream's shirt.

Dream couldn't bring himself to tell Sapnap he knew because then he knew he'd tell him about how he had hoped he would.

"What would I do?" Continued Sapnap.

"Sap, please." Dream replied.

" _ Fuck. _ " Sapnap grabbed more of his shirt and squeezed him tighter. Dream could feel Sapnap's tears through his shirt fabric. Dream hiccups again. This all had to be bullshit. It was too much to be true. George couldn't--

Yet he was.

"I love you, Dream." Sapnap whispers.

Dream sighs. The words made him feel a small bit better. They reminded him that he wasn't alone.

"Could you help me get to the bathroom?" Dream asks. He can feel Sapnap nod and pull away. Sapnap's face is red and his eyes are bloodshot.

Sapnap stands up, knees popping and holds his hand out for Dream to use as a support to get up. His grip was shaky and his legs were weaker than they should be but they made it to the bathroom. Dream couldn't undress so he just stumbled his way into the bathtub and sat in it, nodding at Sapnap when he asked if Dream needed him to turn on the faucet.

The warm water slowly filled up the tub and Dream watched as it rippled, the lantern sending a fragmented glow through it. Dream hadn't noticed when Sapnap left but he saw him come back and set a small stack of clean clothes by the sink.

"Can I wash your hair?" Sapnap asks Dream, sounding very tired and distant. Dream replies with a nod and he watches and Sapnap grabs a small bowl and fills it with water to wet Dream's hair with.

Dream is mostly unresponsive. Zoning in and out and yawning frequently from exhaustion. He was hungry but he knew he wouldn't be able to eat.

He watched Sapnaps face as he concentrated on washing his hair. It was emotionless and his eyes were halfway glazed over. Dream could see that Sapnap was tired.

Sapnap rinsed out Dream's hair. "Could you get dressed on your own?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'll be back, I just need water."

And Sapnap left the bathroom.

Dream struggles for a second trying to lift himself out of the tub, the water weighing him down, but he pushes past it. He dried himself off and got changed as quickly as he was able.

Sapnap comes back a few seconds later and Dream holds his arms open so Sapnap could come closer and accept a hug. Sapnap's skin was cold against Dream's and his movements were sluggish.

Dream pulls back a little bit to press a kiss to Sapnap's cheek.

They wander back upstairs to their room where they hold each other until they fall asleep.

Dream was still tired when he woke up the neck morning with arms wrapped around his waist and a heavy head on his chest. It took a lot to try and feel and he was considerably numb from the horrible night Saonap and he had.

The room was cold and he could see the window was open again. The sun brightened up the room and if he placed his head on his pillow the right way then it'd blind him.

He rests his hand in Sapnap's hair and brushes his fingers through it. It was soft but slightly greasy. Dream sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

He hears a small pat on the floor by the window and a sudden dip of the bed before a piece of paper is dropped onto his face by a small cat. The cat mews at him and then runs across the room and back out of the window. Dream scrunches up his face in confusion before grabbing the note and looking at it.

_ Don't forget to look at your log book. _

Dream scoffs and rolls over slightly and carefully to reach over Sapnap and grab his log boom while trying to not wake him up.

There was something new about his dyed lime green log book. It had a bookmark attached to it and it was slipped into a place at the end of the book.

Dream turns to the page the book mark is placed to find a filled out page of text.

_ Hello, _

_ We are aware of the recent death of your friend and we have witnessed how strong your bond is. We would like to ask you a favor if you would like to bring your friend back. _

_ There has been an issue we have been looking to fix for quite some time and have asked many to try and complete the tasks that are needed to fix this problem. Most have died and the ones who haven't have just refused outright to take on this journey. _

_ This world is unable to bring back the ones who have died like it's supposed to. We need someone to gather items and bring them to the Soul Library in the nether realm so we can fix this. _

_ If you agree to take on the journey, rip out this page. The text will change and give you direction. _

_ In hope of your acceptance, _

_ The End _

Dream swallowed. This had to be some joke like he thought the night before. It wasn't possible. People die and they don't come back and no one could change that.

But how did the text get into his log book? How did the first note get in his stomach and how did that cat get on their roof and in their second floor window?  _ Fuck. _

Dream shakes Sapnap who wakes up almost instantly with a worried look on his face. He gazes at Dream with concern.

Dream sits up and gestures at the page in his log for Sapnap to read and the note that had been brought through the window by the cat. Dream watched as Sapnap's expression shifted through many different emotions, half Dream couldn't pinpoint, and he watched as he gripped the edge of the paper and tore out the page.

Dream impulsively grabs Sapnap's arm before letting go as they both look at the page.

The black lettering starts shifting wildly into unreadable lettering before spelling out a yellow 'Thank You' and all the words changing into a new piece of text.

Dream looks at Sapnap who blinks at Dream absently with shaking hands.

Dream places his hands on the back of Sapnap's head and neck before pulling his close and kissing the top of his head. Sapnap breathes out a light laugh.

Maybe George wasn't so dead after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is mostly "Dream and Sapnap hug and cry".
> 
> I feel like my writing goes a little downhill from here but I'd still appreciate you reading it.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter out of all of them. Hope you enjoy.  
> This chapter contains animal death.

_ In the heart of the largest mountain in the east, there is a portal to the nether. We need you to start your journey there. _

_ There is a map on the other side of this paper that will lead you to the portal. _

_ This text will change once it is in the nether realm. _

Sapnap pulled the paper out. He didn't mean to at first, he was going to let Dream decide if they should believe it but in a matter of seconds he felt extremely frustrated and confused. What he really meant to do was check the back of the page for something and then close the book but when trying to turn the page, it ripped out upsettingly easily.

It didn't make sense because log book pages don't rip.

At most they'd fold but that was it. The outside never even became grimy with soot and dirt when they'd go out mining much like an enchanted book. And the pages never ripped.

The page felt like it almost disintegrated at the seams with his touch.

They accepted it and they could get George back if it wasn't a scam.

Dream had been the first one to read the text and get up. Sapnap had been the one to grab their travel bags. Dream had been the one to tell Sapnap not to bring the sleeping bags and only grab a blanket or two. Sapnap had been the one to get together stacks of golden carrots. Dream had been the one to fill up many water bottles and grab their healing potions. Sapnap had been the one to grab Dream's diamond sword, his own enchanted iron axe, and trip on George's diamond pickaxe.

When Sapnap fell, Dream came into the room to check on him. Dream had found him sitting on the floor and staring at the pickaxe.

They had all agreed when they had first gotten their tools that George would have the good pick, Dream would get the good sword, and Sapnap would get the best axe they had. George had loved that pickaxe. It'd feel wrong to take it and use it.

Dream helped Sapnap up and looked at it.

"It's the only diamond pick we own."

"It's George's."

"We'll need it to get him back."

Sapnap sighed and Dream was the one to pick it up and put it on his tool belt.

They had filled their bags up with their items and Dream strapped a medical kit to an empty tool slot on his belt. 

They studied the map for a while before understanding that the mountain would be on the right side of their house and past the horse stable. They'd have to pass through a spruce forest filled with wild foxes and wolves that will be chasing and attacking said wolves and if they make one wrong step off the trail the wolves would be attacking them too. At least the path was well traveled by the near village's fishermen and various hunters.

While Dream took care of a few things, Sapnap went out to get his horse, Spirit, prepared for travel. He went through the front door, trying not to look down because he  _ knew _ the blood would have stained and he didn’t know how strong he could be after. Spirit’s saddle was already heavy with Sapnap being so drained it took almost all of his energy.

He stood there next to Spirit, stroking they're main. They were a beautiful horse and Sapnap didn't know what he would do if he lost them. He didn't know what they were going to do with them when they got to the portal.

The nether was a horrible place for any creature other than the ones that lived in it. Sapnap had gone once to get blaze rods and then never went back. He wasn’t looking forward to going back for an undetermined amount of time with hardly any preparations and days of emotional and physical exhaustion. When he went the first time it was years before when Sapnap and Dream met George and had weeks of planning.

They had all sworn to never do it again when Dream had to catch George from falling down a steep cliff and Sapnap was badly burned by a stray fire after tripping in an oddly slushy piece of soul sand. That was also when everyone in the world had been close to spawn and if they really needed, they could get help. Now everyone had moved hundreds maybe even thousands of kilometers away from the village they woke up in. The nether seemed so small and very painfully the same. Every turn was another wasteland of grossly textured netherrack and another cry of a ghast. The groans of the mutilated pig men sometimes drifted through Sapnap’s mind.

Sapnap pushed his head against Spirit and hugged they’re neck. A few stray tears rolled down his face. He tried to push his thoughts to the back of his mind.

“Sorry, Spirit.” Sapnap said. “You shouldn't have to see me like this.” He digs through his bag and pulls out a stray carrot and holds it out to them. Spirit takes it, licking Sapnap’s hand in the process, and then eats it quickly. They make a noise of contempt and Sapnap gives them a half smile. There is hardly any feeling behind it.

Sapnap decides to walk her around to the back yard to avoid the front porch. He passes the chicken coop and cow field and he realizes how much he’s going to miss being away. He doesn’t want to leave home but he also thinks that maybe it wasn’t as much of a home without George.

He hears a howl come from the spruce forest and he closes his eyes. He wasn’t ready. Sapnap thinks that maybe he’ll never be ready.

“There you are, I was looking for you.” Dream says from just outside of their back door.

"Sorry, Spirit was being a pain." Sapnap tries to joke. It comes out sounding more tired than he means for it too and he tries for a smile to make up for it. He guesses that that shared the same effect as the joke from the concerned expression that found its way onto Dream's face.

Sapnap was just noticing how sunken in Dream's eyes looked and how little he was expressing with his arms. He always expressed with his arms, it was something they both had picked up from George, Dream moreso, and it seemed wrong to see Dream look so dead. It looked like his arms were too heavy for him to lift and like his hands were just making it worse. Dream was supposed to be the pumped up one. 

Sapnap hated how shit things have become.

"Are you ready to go?" Dream asks him.

Sapnap nods, "Yeah."

"You can ride on Spirit for today. I'll walk. Tomorrow we can switch." Dream tells him. At first Sapnap is confused then he realizes that neither of them would be able to walk for as long as they need to and Spirit wouldn’t be able to carry the both of them along with all the water bottles they had planned to strap to her. Sapnap looks at Dream who seemed to be focusing on the map and nods even if Dream wasn’t paying attention.

After a few seconds Sapnap whispers, “We should go.” 

Dream looks at him and puts the map down before holding out an unsteady hand for Sapnap hold onto. Sapnap grips it, the warmth of Dream’s hand helping warm up his own cold fingers he didn’t know he had.

Dream brushes the back of Sapnap’s hand with his thumb, “Do you think we’ll make it.”

Sapnap gives him a humorless smile, “I don’t know.”

And they set off closer to noon then they wanted to with a single last howl from the spruce forest. The trotting from Spirit made Sapnap feel a little ill but not enough to make him need to rest and after a few hours Sapnap could see Dream become slightly unfocused and trip more times then what was normal. Sapnap could hear Dream’s feet dragg against whatever rocks they’d come across. The water bottles in Spirit’s pouches clinked together.

They had seen some carcasses from the foxes attacking the sheep and the wolves attacking the foxes. All of them were mangled and gruesome with maggots and other bugs crawling through them. The smell emitting from a lot of the bodies made Sapnap feel even more ill. He’d turn his gaze ahead and focus on anything but the corpses. Sapnap would have stopped them from continuing if he believed he would vomit. Sqapnap hardly ever vomited though, so he felt like they could move past it.

On multiple different occasions they heard shifting in the forest and creeper hiss from far off. They’d sometimes hear an extremely muffled groan come from underneath them. They heard a cat meow directly before a loud piercing yowl that made both Sapnap and Dream flinch. They hear a distant yip from a most likely very small fox.

They never stepped off the path due to the possible dangers in the trees.

Dream yawned loudly, rubbing his face with both of his hands. The yawn obstructed both Sapnap and him from hearing a hiss a little closer than what would have been appreciated. They traveled a few more steps before another hiss cut through. It was loud in Sapnap’s ears and he turned towards the noise to see a spider flying towards him.

He brings up his arm before the spider could get him. It hits his arm with a loud thud, making Sapnap’s whole arm feel horrible and almost pushing Sapnap off of Spirit. Spirit neighs loudly and starts moving backward and Dream pulls out his sword and runs towards the spider before bringing it down and slicing the head off. Gross white substances start pooling out and the legs twitched.

Spirit slips on some grass off the path, stumbling with Sapnap hardly being able to hold on. He barely hears a bark over his own strain and Spirit neighs again. This time it sounded like a cry for pain.

Many more barks came along with many growls and Sapnap looked to the ground to see many large wolves biting at Spirit’s legs. Blood gushed out of her legs and she struggled to get away and ran forward on the path. Sapnap’s tries pulling at her reins to get her to stop.

Dream yells out to him, chasing behind him closely.

“Sap! Get off!”

Before Sapnap could fully register Dream’s words, he feels Spirit try to pull back before slipping and going towards what looked like a ravine.

_ Fuck. _

A scream starts in his throat and he feels pressure build up behind his eyes, vision going blurry. When Spirit’s side hits the edge of the ravine, Sapnap tries to grip and whatever he can, but everything snaps that enters his grasp. Adrenaline pumps through his veins and he starts kicking, trying to get a foothold on anything so he didn’t fall.

He just barely realizes that he’s hanging over the edge, suspended in the air and not falling. He’s breathing heavily and keeps kicking because he doesn’t understand how he hasn’t fallen to his death yet.

“Please,  _ holy shit _ , Sap! Stop kicking!” Dream cuts through Sapnap’s panic. That’s when he realized Dream had grabbed him just as he slipped off the edge and he recognized Dream’s grip around his wrist and the pressure at his own shoulder. He just barely stops kicking before he hears a series of many loud cracks come from the bottom of the ravine.

He looks down and sees Spirit, hunched in a pile, each leg pointing in each direction, neck snapped up to look at him. Blood pooled from they’re body and guts were still pushing out of her body. Sapnap starts to scream again. He hiccups and shakes.

Dream pulls his body back to the ground Spirit slid on and pulls him about ten meters away from the ledge before collapsing over Sapnap, curling his arms around his chest and holding there. Sapnap eyes glazed over as he breathed heavily and clenched and unclenched his fists around the fabric of Dream’s hoodie.

Dream cried into Sapnap’s shoulder and muttered apologies to him that Sapnap didn’t catch. Sapnap was in shock, unable to feel much but mind rushing to images of his dead horse and George sitting on their porch with an arrow in his throat. He buries his head into Dream’s chest.

Sapnap hears a quiet, “Maybe we should just go back home.”

_ Maybe they should. _ It’d be the most reasonable and smart thing to do considering the journey they had ahead of them that they now had to walk on foot to do. They now only had the water that Dream had kept in his backpack.

They were on the edge of the spruce forest. A plains rolled out in front of them, a single tree standing in the center. If they went back now they’d lose the chance to get George back and could be attacked in the forest again. There were probably many more mobs attracted to the area they were in because of all the movement and noise. Sapnap did not want to go through the forest again.

He hears a howl and a hiss before a pained yip. They’d be the foxes being chased by the wolves if they went back in there. He was absolutely terrified.

Sapnap speaks up, “Let’s go get George.”

Dream shakes his head, “Sap you almost died, we need to go back.”

“No.”

“Sap, please.”

“Dream, I’m not going back there. We need to get George. I’m fine.”

“I can’t watch you die.”

Sapnap hugs Dream tighter, “Don’t worry I won’t. Watch I’m not even going to get close to dying. George is dead though. We have to get him.”

He hears Dream exhale loudly and a small hiccup. “Okay.”

“Let’s get to that tree, we can rest for the rest of the day there.”

Dream looks up and looks to the tree, he squints and shakily nods. “Okay.”

Sapnap and Dream held onto each other as they set up a camp in the tree. They spent a lot of the night saying each other's names and when they’d ask what the other was asking for, they’d respond with the statement that they were just checking if the other was okay or if they were awake.

When Dream’s breathing became slow and his grip on Sapnap slacked a little and no response came when Sapnap asked his name Sapnap lost himself in his thoughts. He didn’t understand why his fear of everything was dripping away or why his hands were becoming steady. He didn’t understand why the initial nausea of falling wore off or why he just couldn’t understand why Dream was so worried. As soon as the leftover adrenaline from the day wore off, he became extremely drowsy.

He fell asleep to the sound of an enderman vwoop.

  
  


The sun had a hard time coming through the trees. Sapnap could hear chickens clucking in the background and Dream’s footsteps at the base of the tree. The smell of campfire smoke and pork filled his nose.

Sapnap climbs down the tree, Dream offers him a piece, and Sapnap eats. It’s dry and definitely not the best food he’s ever eaten but it would do. They had agreed to save the carrots for the nether. It would be the best way to conserve their supplies for when they need it.

They had packed up and started their trek through the plains mostly wordless. Sapnap was exhausted and didn’t have anything to say and could tell that Dream was too busy worrying and making sure they were safe. Sapnap led with the map hardly paying attention to anything and making reckless and stupid movements. He could hear Dream gasp and start to move faster when he did those things. Sapnap didn’t understand why Dream would worry.

George and Dream hadn’t told him what they were doing that led to George being out during the night and dying. They didn’t trust him with something. He didn’t understand why Dream would keep something from him so he guessed he was testing Dream’s care for him. It crossed his mind that he was doing a shitty thing and he should trust that Dream and George didn’t mean anything by it. He just didn’t get a bad feeling, so he had no repercussion. He kept doing it.

Sapnap was surprisingly good at navigation and following the map considering he was waist deep in misconstruction of the whole situation and wouldn’t be able to recognise any way out.

The plains became sandy and dust particles flew into Sapnap’s eyes as a dessert took over the land. The sun became even hotter than it was in the plains and the buzzing of the bees faded away into nothing. The illusions of the heat messed with his eyes and he trips on a dead bush. Dream catches him and props him upright and sends a worried glance his way. Dreams face was becoming red with a sunburn and Sapnap scrunched his face up. His face hurt and was tight.

“Water?” Sapnap asks Dream.

Dream nods, “Yeah, sure.” He hands Sapnap a water bottle. The water is warm and tasted odd with the addition of the dry dusty air.

They kept walking, sand getting in their shoes and clothes making walking painful and harder than it needed to be. Their ankles and heels had already taken a lot of abuse and large blisters had formed and popped multiple times. Their skin was raw and red, very close to bleeding.

Sapnap had wiped his face a few times to keep the sweat from dripping into his eyes and making them burn. Under his touch his skin would scream in pain and sting. He could hear Dream’s breathing become strained behind him due to the dry heat of the air and could hear pained coughs. Sapnap’s throat had also started hurting.

His hands had become dry and rough. The skin cracked and stung, distracting him from behind able to do much. A kilometer or so away Dream pointed out what seemed to be an oak forest they could camp in and go through to avoid the desert. Dream started ahead and Sapnap mindlessly followed. He’d follow Dream wherever he went and Dream would do the same to him. That wasn’t lost on his mind like everything else was.

The forest sent a chill over the two and they laid in the grass to cool down. The grass blades poked at their miserable skin and painted it a light green tinge with how the blades broke from the amount of force they landed with. They lightly brushed the dirt off each other's arms and faces, being careful of their sunburns and Dream kissed the top of Sapnap’s head. Sapnap wished the bump in his throat would turn to tears from how dead he felt but it never did.

He felt the ghost of happiness grace his mind when he allowed himself to let the hope of George coming back into his heart. He made a joke that seemed a lot more genuine and Dream gave him the largest smile he could manage and squeezed his hand. He let Dream cry and he comforted him.

The night was quiet. The mobs graciously turned away.

_ If the world devoured him, he'd let it as long as Dream said goodbye. Would Dream do the same? _

Maybe everything was getting to him. He felt like the sun was speaking to him in rhymes and the moon only spoke in numbers.

Dream snored. He always had even if it only started out as the smallest little noise. Over the years it eventually became white noise and could lull Sapnap to sleep.

  
  


Sapnap and Dream had formed sun blisters across their faces. They had started forming during the night and they both woke up to the boils and pain. Their ankles and feet weren't doing much better and oozed with clear liquids that quickly stuck to anything that touched it.

"We're almost to the mountain." Sapnap told Dream. It was the first thing he said that morning. He didn't know what else to say with the void of emotion in his chest. His words were often fueled by his feelings.

They had walked a long way.

Their blisters and skin screamed at them and their spirit was diminishing. They couldn't just turn back now, though. The mountain was in sight and they were so close. Maybe only an hour or two left.

The forest began to have steep hills and with each hill Sapnap got closer and closer to collapsing. He had just barely gotten over the final hill at the base of the mountain before his vision was filled with a light ray coming through the trees and he looked away just before tripping on a rock. He falls onto the ground and groans, unable to get up.

Dream was a minute behind him because he had slipped at some point coming up the hill. He finds Sapnap in his spot on the ground and walks over to him before kneeling down and shaking him a small bit. 

Sapnap's stomach  _ hurt _ . It growled loudly for a few seconds before sharp pains cut through his gut. He felt nauseous.

"Sap," Dream says, placing his hand in Sapnap's neck, "did you eat at all today?"

Sapnap honestly couldn't remember. His mind was scrambled and his stomach wasn't allowing him to think clearly. He guesses he didn't.

Dream sighs before shuffling through Sapnap's bag and pulling out a few golden carrots.

"Here." Dream says, handing the carrots to Sapnap.

Sapnap didn't feel hungry, he felt like he'd get sick if he ate but he did anyway. The carrots taste too sweet on his tongue and thick as they slid down his throat. After a few minutes he started to feel better but weaker than he would have liked.

"Let's get into the cave so we can rest, okay?" Dream says, brushing the hair out of Sapnap's face and pulling the bandanna off of his head to tie it around his wrist. He puts his hand out in front of Sapnap so he could pull himself up.

Once standing up, Sapnap truly realized how much his feet hurt and how sore his legs felt. Working together, they slowly stumbled to the opening of a cave at the base of the mountain. They found that it was lit by glowstone mounds coming out of the walls.

A cobblestone and brick path was laid out on the floor of the cave. They followed it down a large cave system, most likely only slightly higher than where lava pools had formed judging by the heat.

The room they found themselves in had a large portal in the center of it, the frame decorated with gold and carved stone. The walls had shelves with chests and furnaces. There was a cauldron with a faintly sweet smelling potion resting in it.

Dream leaned Sapnap against an empty wall, leaving him to rest and watch as he looked at everything in the room.

Sapnap watched Dream's movements closely. He was favoring a foot and would rub his arms every once in a while. Where Sapnap expected a comment, there was just a long pause.

Sapnap felt safe in the room. The soft whooshing of the portal and crackling of the fire warmed him up and helped him untense. He could feel the walls around his emotions give in as he relaxed.

He missed George. The odd humor and stupid comments he usually provided Dream and him with were lacking and it hurt his soul. He loved George and he could have helped him but he  _ didn't _ and he felt guilty.

Sapnap takes in a sharp breath before a sob shakes him and he brings his heavy arms up to his face to try and muffle it. He had already made reckless decisions to try and upset and put stress onto Dream, he didn't want his own crying to add on to that.

Dream comes back over to Sapnap with a bowl of water. He drinks it and he sees Dream look intently at empty glasses and leave with them. He comes back, the glasses filled with a slightly green tinged water and Dream pushes Sapnap's hair back.

"Get some rest."

  
  
  


The next day they eat and pack their bags. Sapnap has the torn paper in his hand and Dream has building material. With his free hand, Sapnap grabs a hold of Dream's hand. They intertwine their fingers and exchange a set of small squeezes.

The steady whooshing if the portal grew loud and erratic. Sapnap's ears pop as his vision goes from a deep purple to a desaturated crimson.

In a split second the world seems to fold out in front of them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nether time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, I'm bad at staying focused.

Dream looks around the world. It is definitely different since the last time he'd been there. The fog seemed to be a brighter shade of red and hung heavy across his skin. It felt like he was being covered with small insects with the way it tickles and pricked at him. Tall, red tree-like masses hung over his and Sapnap’s heads and the foliage was stiff and thick.

The ground beneath them thudded louder than any material he’s heard before and seemed like it was trying to hold on to the soles of his boots. Sapnap’s grip tightens around his hand before Dream hears a hiss and smells smoke. Sapnap rips his hand away from Dream and Dream’s eyes follow Sapnap’s hand to see the piece of paper smoking and Sapnap holding his hand, clutching it to his chest. Sapnap had quickly let go of the paper and it started floating to the ground.

“Whoa-- Sap! Are you okay?” Dream says circling in front of the other to take hold of his shoulders. Dream could feel Sapnap trembling, but that wasn’t new. He had been doing it for the past few days now and Dream suspected he hadn’t noticed. He knew Sapnap would have tried hiding it if he did.

Sapnap responded by putting his head down and holding his hand out.

There was a slight burn, Sapnap's skin on his fingers was turning red and blisters would definitely form but it wasn't anything serious. Dream wrapped a hand around Sapnap's palm to avoid the burns and rubbed his wrist with his fingers for comfort. It was too hot for proper care to the skin and Dream didn't have much in his medical supplies for it.

"Sap…" Dream started looking for some response but when he didn't get on he continued anyway. "Are you going to be okay?"

Sapnap looked at Dream, a slight grimace on his face. "Yeah, it's not that bad."

"Are you sure? I could check if I have something to wrap around it."

Sapnap shook his head, "I need my hands in here. I can't have a handicap."

Dream nods and lets go of Sapnap's hand. He looks around, seeing if the paper was at least still intact.

The paper laid on the floor, charred black but somehow in one piece. He kneels down to pick it up. It feels and behaves more like a thin cloth now, laying limply in his hand. Words grace the surface of it in a white ink.

_ You are in the nether realm. It has evolved over the years at a rapid rate unnatural for this realm. It has effectively jumped past your realm in technological possibilities and the new resources seemed to be made for advancement. _

_ We have pulled strings in the world to make it so a few objects could be made by your hands with these resources. _

_ Your first step in this realm is to obtain a respawn anchor.  _

_ Due to a misstep by the gods, you are unable to be reborn. This object is the core to fixing that and bringing back any and all who have taken their last breath no matter the amount of pain or physical torture they've been put through. It'll let us give you the gift of an almost everlasting life that you can live happily in. _

_ For this object you will need to craft it. It requires glowstone and crying obsidian. _

_ To make this quick; the piglins will trade you the later resource for gold. You better start mining. Do be careful, though. They are very temperamental creatures and will attack if you aren't wearing gold or mine in their sight. _

Sapnap had started wandering around while Dream read the instructions. Dream wished he would stop with his excessively reckless behavior but didn't want to bring it up.

"Hey, Sap!" Dream called over to him. Trying to get Sapnap in a closer range to the portal in case something comes after them and they need to leave.

Sap wandered back to him and Dream handed him the instructions as he started looking around for glowstone. He spots some trapped in one of the red trees that they'd only need to tower a few meters for. He started walking towards them pulling Sapnap with him as he continued to read. At the base of the tree, Dream started placing materials to tower with before he heard a groan. He quickly glanced around trying to find where the noise came from. His eyes caught the glint of gold armor through the foliage.

Sapnap seemed to see too because he quickly moved towards Dream.

“Sap,” Dream whispered, “I’m going to get the glowstone stay down here and keep watch.”

“No, I’ll go up.”

Dream stared at him, “Your hand is injured.”

“It doesn’t matter. You have the sword and can protect us.”

Dream considered this for a moment. Glowstone was toxic if it entered the body and Sapnap was fairly susceptible to that. He also didn’t want Sapnap to get stabbed and for him to continue alone or give up. He sighed and nodded to Sapnap, handing him towering materials. He slides his sword out of the  scabbard. It makes a sharp noise before another low groan is heard.

Dream hears Sapnap placing materials and a few footsteps on the other side of some foliage. Sapnap gets high enough to not be hit by anything on the ground when quick steps start coming their way. A piglin comes into sight, running at him, Sword raised and in half gold armor.

Before Dream knew it he automatically brought up his diamond sword and swung it down on the piglins head, slicing the skull and puncturing the brain. The piglin is still running, the body working without the brain to control it before it drops dead in a heap on the floor.

The head had taken a second longer to slide down the sword and leave it behind. Ince the weight in Dream's hands became lighter he took a deep breath and checked in Sapnap who was minding his own business getting the glowstone.

Dream checked the piglin's body, nothing was on it but the armor and weapon it was holding. Hardly anything useful.

That was when Dream looked at Sapnap and then himself, realising that they didn't have any gold armor and that the instructions said they would need some so the beasts won't attack them. 

The armor wrapped around the piglin corpse was heavily damaged but could work. The chestplate was missing a shoulder pad but still held its purpose and the boot's soles were worn down to almost nothing but with no serious damage. Sapnap and him only needed it to last then through trading.

The sunburnt skin in Dream's face stung as he sweat. He strpped the piglin of its armour and got ready to help Sapnap down from the tower. Dream took a drink of what's left of their good water. The rest he had gotten from the desert and had some algae and sand in it. That was their last resort.

Dream hears Sapnap take in a breath and when he looks up something drips onto his forehead. He brings his hand up and wipes it away, checking his fingers.

Sapnap had dripped blood onto him. That definitely wasn't good.

"Sap, be careful." Dream says as Sapnap wobbly begins to make his way down. Dream moves around the tower to get a better view of Sapnap so he could attempt to catch him if he fell.

Sapnap never fell but once he got to the ground he couldn't hold himself up. He whimpered and his eyes glazed over.

Dream took Sapnaps hands for a second time that hour. The skin was bubbling and peeling around many bleeding cuts. The cuts had various small glowstone shards in them that were dissolving quickly in bodily fluids. The blood boiling over and into his palms was glowing slightly and went between a sick brown and dying green.

The smell emitting from the injury was foul and Dream gagged several times as he got out some good water. He couldn't use the desert water because of the contaminates.

Dream quickly poured water onto the cuts, trying his hardest to swipe away any glowstone dust with the bloody water. The water poured through Sapnap's fingers and into Dream's clothes. Dream hands were staining red.

The whole situation reminded him of when he first saw George.

He had left Sapnap in the living room, not sure what he was expecting. Something horrible had happened and judging from the few words Sapnap was able to push through his tears and the blood now covering their furniture and Sapnap's hands, he wasn't going to like it any better than Sap.

When he had first seen George he felt like he was waking up and falling asleep at the same time. Dread pulled his heart into his gut and his breathing became rapid. Tears flew down his face as his hands covered in blood.

George's shirt was one Sapnap and him had gotten George for his birthday. They had obnoxiously dyed their names into each sleeve. Next to Sapnap's name was a heart and next to Dream's was a simple smiley face. George had poked fun at them and acted like he was annoyed at the tampering of the fabric but Dream knew George hung that surt up in the closet and George only ever put important things in the closet.

Dream let out a quiet sob as his lips grazed George's forehead and he quickly pulled away. He saw every place Sapnap had moved the blood on George's body before he ran out into the field, tripping on a rock and sitting up.

Dream had screamed into the morning rain clouds.

Dream had found the goggles sitting next to a wild cornflower.

Dream wiped Sapnap's face with his thumb.

"Sap?"

Sapnap had been unresponsive for a few minutes, worrying Dream. A few frustrated tears slipped out of his eyes as he began to wrap Sapnap's hands with some gauze he had in his medical gear. Sapnap groaned and leaning forward, head pressing into Dream's shoulder.

Dream sighed and realized they were going to have to rest at the base of the tree for the night. He set up a cobblestone wall around the so nothing could get in and rested Sapnap against the tree, the log felt like a mushroom - maybe that's what it was - and would be more comfortable for Sapnap.

Dream, in preparation for the next time they were able to move, slipped the gold boots onto Sapnap and put on the gold chest piece.

  
  


When Dream woke up after a quick nap, he saw Sapnap huddled in a corner. He was shivering and crying.

"Hey, Sap. What's wrong?" Dream asks, concerned.

"Dream. Please help." Sapnap whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm having another nightmare." Sapnap says, out of breath and choking back a sob.

Dream furrows his eyebrows. "You've been having nightmares?"

Sapnap shakes his head, "Not like this--this is horrible."

Dream notices that Sapnap's chin is scraped as soon as Sapnap tries to look at him. It's directly under a hardened sun blister and had taken some of it off, the skin raw and red underneath. Dream carefully scoots closer to him,placing a warning touch on Sap's elbow and carefully pulling his face up by his jaw so he could see the damage.

Dream chooses to use a comforting tone, "How'd you get this?"

One of Sapnap's tears hits his hand before evaporating, "I tried running away from the creatures." Sapnap paused. "I tripped and I ran back here."

Dream pulled Sapnap into a hug, "Please don't leave, you could get hurt more than you did."

"I know." Sapnap sniffles. "The shadows were chasing me, though. I didn't know what to do. I didn't realise they weren't real."

"You should have woken me up."

"I was scared you'd be upset and leave me alone."

"I would never." Dream's grip on Sapnap is tightened. "I love you. I wouldn't leave you."

"It feels like you might."

"What? Why?"

"George was doing something the night he died." Sapnap says bluntly in a whisper. "You knew what it was. I was never told anything about it."

_ Oh. _

Sapnap pulls away from him, grimace on his face, "I don't know what you were doing and I felt left out. When I was seeing things and panicking it felt so much worse."

Dream brushed Sapnap's hair out of his face. It was stuck together by sweat.

"How'd you find out?"

"I had looked at George's log for something."

"Oh." Dream swallowed, his mouth was dry. "We were planning something for your birthday. We wanted it to be a surprise."

Sapnap sobbed and Dream quickly pulled him back into his chest. "Take deep breaths for me please." Dream brushed his fingers through Sapnap's hair. Some hairs snapped and pulled out of Sapnap's head and Dream dropped them onto the netherrack. "I had decided that we should do it while you slept. It just didn't go as planned."

Sapnap brought his arms up around Dream. Dream presses a kiss to the top of his head. The glowstone dust had gotten into Sapnap despite Dream's best efforts. Not a lot though, gladly, if it was anymore Sapnap probably would have hallucinated his way to death. Dream wouldn't be able to take it after that, he'd give up the very second Sap's death message would pop up in his log.

"We have to finish getting the anchor."

"Okay."

Sapnap and Dream mined gold deposits for hours, getting as much gold as they could before starting to trade. It had taken many hours and many stray piglins had been ready to fight before they gave them some.

Dream had done most of the work seeing as Sapnap's hands were so badly damaged and he was still getting over the effects of the glowstone. Sapnap would fidget and glance around sometimes before sitting rigidly.

It only took them a few moments to find a sizable group of piglins to trade with.

The piglins and them couldn't communicate well and would give them random items each time they handed them a gold ingot. They had gotten lots of gravel and string before they were able to get any crying obsidian.

Dream liked the material. It was strong and dripped a glowing purple liquid that transfixed him.

Sapnap had followed closely behind Dream as he made a crafting table and got to work on the respawn anchor. It took several hours before it was made.

Once the last piece of glowstone was set into the object, they placed it in their bag. Sapnap had gotten out the piece of paper.

Ot erupted into flames. Ash falling to the ground and for a split second there was no hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you couldn't tell, I hated writing this. Sorry for such a long wait. Been kinda busy.

Like a Phoenix, a book was reborn from the ashes.

It was very old, pages had been folded and torn out and many stuck out farther than the rest. The leather wrapping it had dust particles on it and had become grimey. It had no legible title or author. There was a bookmark, though, it seemed out of place and all too new between the yellowish pages. It was a light blue and popped out against the red surrounding them.

Sapnap, still dazed and paranoid from the monsters he had seen in his substance induced hallucinations, took the book from the paper’s ashes. He brushed the cover off, ash smudging his bandages.

He opens to the page bookmarked, glancing over the page, it was in a language he couldn’t read and if heard he doesn’t doubt he’d be unable to understand any of it. The lettering was foreign and he couldn’t begin to understand the symbols splayed out on the page. What he could understand was an inscription in the margin.

It was in a different ink and was next to a circled paragraph. It was in perfect english and obviously meant for them to read.

_ In these monuments of our civilization we will hold our riches. Bastions will hold any material we have a limit to since our entrapment in this realm or we deem useful in our survival and uphold of wealth. If anyone attempts to steal these things, they will be eliminated then and there. _

Directly underneath the translated paragraph was a note.

_ -Find a lodestone. They have been kept in heavily guarded chests for decades as they are crafted from the strongest moldable material and overworld chiseled stone. _

Sapnap hummed and handed the book to Dream who took it warily. Sapnap perceived it as Dream not wanting to touch Sapnap out of-- fear? Sapnap wasn't sure but he knew he'd be thinking about it.

As soon as Dream closes the book they hear the cry of a ghast. They had absentmindedly moved towards what seemed to be the nether they remember-- dead and barren. It seemed like the solidified gas creatures had lingered in the air in the barren wastelands, avoiding the trees.

They move quickly and quietly behind cover until Sapnap trips on a stone. He falls, knees screaming in pain and bloody and scraped forearms staring up at him. Dream moves quickly to help him up.

They hear the sudden wail of a ghast and the sound of fire before they see a fireball moving at them at terrifyingly quick speeds. Sapnap sees Dream look around. Sapnap also tried looking around but he was panicking and his bandages had pushed into his cuts and popped a few blisters, he was unable to focus on taking in information. He was wasting time he could have used to run away from the mobile fire.

Before he knows it, Dream is grabbing onto his shoulders, lifting him up and pushing him in a direction. The fireball hits directly where he was just sitting.

One of Dream's hands shifts from his shoulder to his hand and Sapnap feels as his arm is being pulled, the rest of him close behind.

They run together, away from multiple bursts of fire, tripping but never falling and heaving in thick warm air. Their lungs start to burn as they stop at the entrance of a cave. Dream pushes his palms against the wall and Sapnap falls to the ground once more and coughs.

Sapnap's throat burned and his hands stung. Tears pooled over the corners of his eyelids and made his vision blur. His body felt hot and it made him want to cover himself in ice and freeze to death. 

He felt Dream's hands being placed on his shoulders and his body being shook. He couldn't hear anything past a loud buzz in his ears that he only just realized appeared. He tried looking to find Dream's face but couldn't get his head up, it was too heavy and he was far too tired.

After a few more shakes,Sapnap feels the weight being put on his knees begin lightening. He feels pressure build under his arm and around his waist and he guesses Dream is carrying him when he sees the blurry ground below him start moving.

The temperature in the cave, although still very warm and practically unbearable, drops a little. Just enough for it to be noticed by Sapnap. He starts to feel a little less dizzy and out of it at this point. The world was starting to come together around him.

Large flakes of ash float into the back entrance of the cave. In Sapnap's foggy mind all he could think about was the resemblance to snowflakes. He'd laugh if he could manage any noise to escape his tight throat.

"Shit…" Dream says, still holding him up but gently tousling Sapnap. Sapnap gripped Dream's shoulder the best he could, knuckles aching. "Sap. I think we found a bastion."

Sapnap could hear the slight upturn of Dream's mouth and could practically hear his dry lips crack. The sound of the piglins groaning met his ears as he drifted off.

  
  


Sapnap couldn't rest any longer. The longer they were in the nether the more they needed water and they already didn't have much. Desert water can only do so much. They just needed to get a single thing from this bastion and they could move on.

Actually sleeping in the nether was impossible, they found out after their first rest. The closest thing you could get to sleeping was a pain or exhaustion induced nap that didn't do much for you or a restless sleep that only regenerated some health. Sapnap was exhausted but at least he could breathe.

His joints may have hurt as he stood and the raw pieces of skin from the popped blisters may have stung but it didn't stop him from moving with Dream towards the bastion. He held his axe in his hand even if it hurt and did his best to keep his basically shattered golden boots from falling off. Heavy and jittery steps were not efficient in this biome, though.

Sapnap hears Dream call out to him, not quite hearing the words but definitely being alerted enough to look around. He hears an odd sticking noise before seeing the large magma cube and before he could act on his own he is pulled in between basalt towers.

"Sap. You need to pay attention." Dream tells him. He'd defend himself if he didn't recognize that Dream was right.

He looks to Dream who although he knows is terrified, looks surprisingly calm. His face was in a stern expression and his hands were steady. Sapnap didn't know how he did it.

Dream covers Sapnap's head with his arms as the magma cube jumps up on top of the pillars. It can't get to where they are because of its size but that doesn't stop the stray pieces of it from falling through. 

Dream tucks his head under his own arms with Sapnap to try and protect himself as well. Sapnap hears Dream his in pain and can feel some magma start to burn through his clothing and get closer to his skin. Thankfully it cooled quickly.

"It's trying to attack me…" Dream says quietly after noticing how the magma cube is centered above him more so than Sapnap.

The magma continued to jump above them. The basalt shook and began chiping, hitting them and scraping their skin.

"Sapnap." Dream makes eye contact with Sapnap, voice only wavering slightly before hardening. "I'm going to need you to run to the bastion and find a way inside."

Sapnap started to nod before stalling, "Wait. Are we even sure that's a bastion?" Panic started creeping up on Sapnap, his voice cracking because of his neglect to use it. "Dream I do not want to go somewhere we don't need to."

Dream nods, "There were some diagrams in the book. That looks a lot like it. Even if it's not it'll be okay." Some more large magma cubes around them start forming, non noticing them however.

Sapnap takes a deep breath and carefully shifts to get a look at the bastion. He finds an opening just to the right of the spot they were heading. It was low and the only monsters near it were very small magma cubes. They couldn't be too much of a pain.

"Okay." He whispers. Dream pushes him slightly forward and Sapnap takes the boost and makes a run for it before any of the other magma cubes around the basalt towers could notice him. His ankles had popped and his muscles shook with each bound but all long as he got to the building quickly he would be okay.

He found himself just under the opening he spotted before. The stone he faced was smooth and placed in bricks. It reminded him of a stronghold with all the cracks and lines shooting through the structure.

When he had come face to face with the first stronghold they ever found he had climbed the bricks by using his sword and a lead he had on him. Now he had neither and when he brushed his hands against the stone, it was ashy and slick. He'd have to bridge.

Sapnap didn't want to bridge. The last time he did he got infected by glowstone dust and nearly fell. The sight of the blood on his hands made him panic and see his horse at the ravine and George on their porch.

The magma had formed a circle around him. They're too small to do much but they stung. Sapnap kicks them away from him and they splatter against the ground, spraying small magma globs at his ankles.

Sapnap began sifting through his bag, the robe burning the skin it rubbed against. He had about five meters worth of bridging material. It was cobblestone and he had no way of getting more material out of it. He didn't think it'd be enough to reach the top. He didn't have a pickaxe on him to get more supplies for it either so he'd have to be smart.

His eyes shoot around him. There were basalt pillars leading about halfway up in a broken staircase formation. He could use that.

Sapnap places enough material at the bottom of the shortest tower to get on top of it. After almost twisting his ankle with a misstep, it's a fairly easy way up. At the top he was met with an easier place to tower.

Sapnap places down some cobblestone in a slant towards the opening. This wouldn't be the most stable bridge but it'd be enough for Dream to use it and get up after him. 

He finishes the bridge and for the first time looks back to Dream. He's running towards the staircase up with cooled magma covering his clothes. The magma is chasing him.

Dream runs faster than the monster and he turns around a few times to slice at the form. After the third swipe the magma breaks into two monsters and Dream runs for the pillars again. 

Sapnap watches as Dream jumps on the piece of cobblestone at the ground, jumping and toppling the stack at the same time before the magma could attempt to jump up. As Dream made his way up the basalt staircase the magma cubes that had been following him began to hit the pillars Dream was stepping on, shaking the whole bunch of them.

The already unstable cobblestone bridge shook and started crumbling. Dream notices this and makes his way to it quicker. Sapnap moves closer to the opening in the wall just in case he needed to grab Dream.

Dream carefully steps onto the bridge and shuffles his way across it. Holding his arm out for Sapnap to grab onto.

As soon as Sapnap's hand meets Dream's arm the cobblestone shakes one last time before falling, almost taking Dream with it. Sapnap's grip on Dream's arm tightens and Dream's arm starts to roll his bandages down, exposing his cuts and making them reopen. The warm air made the wounds burn and his hands pulse.

Dream kicks at the wall and begins to push up with his own leg strength. He gets his chest above the opening flooring and Sapnap is able to pull Dream up to safety.

Sapnap's blood had started pushing its way through the wounds. It found its way onto Dream's arm and now his hands from Dream trying to swipe it away.

They hear piglins up the tunnel they were at the end of. They seemed to not mind them being there so they rest and Dream shuffles for their water. Sapnap sees Dream pause when looking at the water they had left.

Sapnap had caught a glimpse of just 3 water bottles and he understood.

Sapnap notices Dream's green leather bound log book. He had almost forgotten they brought them.

Through an opening between the bottles, Sapnap notices a yellow bookmark. An achievement bookmark. No one has gotten an achievement in ages.

"Get your log out." Sapnap says to Dream. Dream looks up at him and then reaches to grab it out of his bag. Sapnap goes to grab it before he remembers the blood and burning on his hands, so instead he gestures to the new bookmark.

Dream understands and opens the book to the page. It had appeared in the global section of the book and was the first thing after George's death message.

[ _ Sapnap has made the advancement  _ **_Those Were The Days_ ** ]

[ _ Dream has made the advancement  _ **_Those Were The Days_ ** ]

[ _ Achievement Description: Find a Bastion _ ]

[ _ WilburSoot: What are you boys doing? _ ]

That's been the first message across the groups in years.

_ What were they doing? _

"Do we answer?" Asks Sapnap.

"Not yet."

Dream hastily closes the book and places it in his bag so he can grab a green tinged water bottle. He pours it in small amounts onto Sapnap's hand's. It was the first time Sapnap noticed the soft sizzle of the water once it's out of the bottle. 

Sapnap says nothing when he sees that they were going to use the last of the bandages on his hands again. He didn't know what he could say. They were just unprepared.

His bandages ended up tight but Sapnap felt like he could deal with it. It wouldn't matter if they couldn't get out of the nether before they ran out of water. Sapnap was used to the pain at this point.

Sapnap nudges Dream up the tunnel with his elbow. Dream nods to him and they start moving. The sound of the blackstone beneath their feet soothing him slightly.

_ What were they doing? _

At the top of the tunnel they see the piglins. They seemed to be in groups murmuring to each other. They paid no mind to Sapnap and Dream as they walked into larger rooms. Gold sat on pedestals and various blackstone staircases led to higher or lower levels.

They went down a broken staircase to find what seemed to be a room leading around a larger room. The left walls opened up into said room.

Sapnap and Dream made their way to the large opening and looked down. There was a large drop down to a lava floor with a small blackstone structure in the center. From where Sapnap and Dream were they could just barely see the gold and chests set under the canopy.

"How are we going to get down?" Sapnap asks. The piglins behind them turn and grunt at them before going back to murmuring.

"Lets see if we can find another staircase down."

Sapnap's hands had started turning a deep red. He pulled the bandages over the ends of his fingers to hide it so Dream didn't see. Sapnap didn't want to stop and fix the bandages when they were so close to finding a lodestone.

Dream nudged Sapnap to the right so they could start walking around to find a staircase. All the dark tones make it hard to make out shapes. 

At the back of one of the walls they see a small passage. It's not quite a staircase but it still leads to a lower level. Dream pulls Sapnap down it.

It's a tight fit in the passage and Sapnap accidentally swipes his hands along the wall. The bandages shift and he could see that his hands had become purple and were starting to swell. Once again he shifts his bandages back and ignores the issue. 

The sound of lava popping gets louder and they hear the sound of a magma cube.

_ What were they doing? _

Sapnap almost slips at the last step down but Dream catches him. Dream makes eye contact with Sapnap to check if he’s okay and Sapnap gives him a small nod. Sapnap catches Dream putting his hand on the hilt of his sword as he turns around.

They wander around the floor to find another way down, but they couldn’t find one. They only had to go one more level.

Sapnap watches as Dream glances around before making eye contact with him.

“Wait here.” Dream wanders into a small room. Sapnap stays where he was but starts to look around at his surroundings. There were only a few pigmen on this level but they had started moving up floors it seemed. Maybe they won’t be a problem.

As Sapnap turns back towards the way Dream disappeared, he catches the flame-like glow of a spawner above the lava below them. He whips his head back around to try and find it and figure out what it’s spawning.

His eyes find it again right as it spawns a new set of mobs and his heart drops.  _ Magma cubes. _

_ What were they doing? _

Dream comes back then and Sapnap pats his arm with his aching and swelling palm. He points to the spawner, “Dream. We have to get that.”

Sapnap watches as Dream’s brain works. Dream sighs and nods before getting George’s pickaxe out. Sapnap sends Dream a questioning glance. Dream doesn’t answer it before he runs towards the opening in the wall. Sapnap can only watch as Dream jumps towards the spawner with his pickaxe raised.

“DREAM!” Sapnap screams after him. He had no clue what was going through Dreams head. He didn’t know what was going through his own head. He knew that his stomach had dropped and his heart felt like it was suffocating.

Sapnap had at first thought the spawner was being held up by a pole. He only realises once Dream has hooked the pickaxe into it and they start gliding down to the center structure that it had been floating. A trail of smoke and ash is left behind and the bars groan and squeak.

Sapnap watches as Dream kicks in the air and swings his body to the top of the canopy. A magma cube jumps out of the lava and hits the bottom of Dream’s foot. Dream lifts his leg quickly and Sapnap watches as the bottom of Dream’s shoe falls off into the lava below.

Dream scrambles to the top of the canopy feet first and once stable on top he pulls the spawner with the pickaxe and swings it into the ground below him. It shatters and bends, going up if a puff of smoke. Dream collapses to his knees on the canopy and Sapnap can see him heave.

“You dumbass!” Sapnap calls after Dream . He looks around and sees a slim and cracked beam starting in the middle of a pillar. It connects to the opposite side and is only a few meters above Dream. Sapnap looks through his bag for his pickaxe. It’s only iron and about to break. The worn straps on the handle hurt his hands and the weight makes it feel like his hands are going to pop.

Sapnap carefully mines part of the floor out, on the third section his pick makes a horrible clang noise and shatters in his throbbing hands. He picks up the sections of the floor he mined out and carefully placed them along the wall towards the beam. The material was good for bridging he found.

Sapnap's first step onto the bridge was horrifying and his first step onto the beam made it shake. His vision blurred with panic before he took a deep breath and took another step. 

He didn't need to look down to know he was over lava and even if he wasn't a fall onto normal ground would injure him severely if not kill him.

He takes another step.

Sapnap knew Dream wouldn't be able to help him. If Dream was able to do that then Sapnap wouldn't be basically walking a tightrope to go help him.

Another.

Only a few more steps left. This wasn't _ too _ hard. Sapnap couldn't _ die _ . That would be horrible for Dream and even if it left more supplies for him to be able to finish the stupid quest and get George back, Sapnap didn't think it was worth it.

Sapnap didn't want to die.

Sapnap didn't think anyone would want to die. He doubted Dream would either so his shaky steps were forced to become a little more stable. Sapnap could get to the other side if he ignored how his hands shook and how fast his heart raced.

_ What were they doing? _

Gods, Sapnap hated that question. It plagued his mind and made him frustrated. He wasn't even sure if he knew the answer to it. They had started this to get George back, but were they really? Were they on a wild goose chase?

The last step might have come easier but Sapnap was also a mess.

He gets close to Dream and offers a trembling hand before he hears a sob. Sapnap's face contorts into one of worry and he kneels down and puts his hands in front of Dream to help him know that he's there.

Dream lets out another sob and puts his hand on Sapnap's. Sapnap takes Dream's hand and rubs circles into it with his thumb.

"Dream." Sapnap whispers leaning forward. "What's wrong?"

Dream replies by shaking his head. Sapnap squeezes his hand and stays quiet, letting Dream cry tears that don't stay for long. They dissapear long before the pain.

Sapnap hears a magma cube below them. They'll deal with it later.

Sapnap feels Dream bring Sapnap's hand closer to him and move around the bandages to inspect it. Sapnap's hands were purple and far more swollen than he thought they would be. 

Dream lets a tear drop, it disappears in the air and he shakes his head before loosening the bandages around Sapnap's hands and unraveling them.

"You're so stupid." Dream whispers to him. Sapnap exhales in disbelief.

"You're the one who jumped across a lava pit."

"And look where I am now. Crying above said lava pit."

Sapnap laughs. It's almost genuine but still more than he'd thought he'd ever be able to get out.

Sapnap feels Dream pat his hand to tell him he was done fixing the bandages. Sapnap takes the chance to take hold of Dream's face. It was textured from the dried tears on his face.

Sapnap always loved how  _ soft _ Dream was. He was the sweetest person he had ever met and cared so much for him.

Sapnap pats the side of Dream's face with a small smile and stands up. Dream takes his wrist to help himself up.

"We just have to get the lodestone from here. Right?" Sapnap asks.

"Yeah. I think they're in the chests below us."

Sapnap nods and slowly walks to the edge of the canopy. "Okay. I'll deal with the magma cubes."

Dream looks at him pointedly. "Your hands are injured."

Sapnap waves him off, "They've been injured. Let me do this."

Dream finally agrees and they hop down below the canopy. It's a lot warmer down there than from up above and Sapnap started to sweat worse than he had the whole time they were in the nether.

He hears pigmen groan angrily as Dream opens a chest and watches as magmas jump out of the lava every few seconds. His axe was slipping ever so slightly in his hands but he got a grip so he could slice a magma in half.

The odd streaming slime that flew off of it splayed across Sapnap's legs and he yelled as he brought his axe down again. He felt his skin boil and sizzle. The smell coming from his burning skin and clothes was horrible but it was fine if Dream could get the lodestone and get out.

Sapnap didn't need to get out. He just had to make sure Dream had to lodestone and was safe.

"I got it!" Dream yells before pulling Sapnap and running away from the magma he was fighting.

The skin under the now solid magma slime globs were stretching uncomfortably and screaming at him to stop moving. Tears met his eyes as he tried but he couldn't slow down with Dream's tight grip around his wrist, pulling him towards an exit.

Sapnap trips, falling and hitting his still semi swollen hand on the slick ashen floor but was quickly picked up by Dream. Sapnap only notices now the obvious limp that Dream had. Dream's foot must have been burned when the magma jumped up at him.

They go up a few flights of stairs after finding an easy opening to get out of the center with. The pigmen were following them, obviously angry with them. Sapnap wasn't quite sure what the cause of their anger was but he didn't need to to know that they were in danger and needed to get out.

Sapnap is suddenly pushed against a wall and he hears blocks being placed behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are almost to the part I want to write. Loved writing this chapter though.

After getting Sapnap out of the way so he could block up the opening, Dream scouted the area.

It wasn't the same way they got in with and the world around them had become a bright blue, purple fog filled his lungs.

He hears Sapnap snore.  _ Fuck. _ He probably should have been a little more gentle with him. He had been panicking and in pain and he guessed he pushed Sapnap a little too hard. Maybe he should have given him a warning.

Dream swallowed, thick spit traveled down his throat but everything stayed dry. He couldn’t risk not having enough water, so he let it be. Dehydration was something he had been dealing with the whole trip so he decided that it was the least of his worries.

A gentle buzz comes from his pocket, he jumps slightly at the sound but quickly recovers and reaches in. It’s the book, glowing slightly where he touched it.

He opens the book skimming through the pages lightly before a warm breeze picks up and turns the page for him. It stops on a page tinged a lighter yellow then the rest with a language he can read.

_ On to the final stretch. Off to the soul sand valley you go, a couple hundred meters into the warped forest and the soil will change. The fire will be blue and the carcasses will stand tall, but so will a library. Get inside the library quickly. _

_ Keep your head low, there are creatures in the forest that might not like you looking at them. Save your water, you should have enough for one of you by the end of this. _

_ We apologize for the pain. _

_ But we are The End and the end calls for at least some pain. _

Dream was sick of it. The way the words seemed more human than before and the way they tried to sympathize. Trying to tell him things he already knew and leaving out information that could help him find the valley.

Dream sits down, hitting his head on the blockage he built. He can hear the angry groans and the gentle scrapes from the pigmen scratching at the wall with their swords.

Dream sees Sapnap's hand, lying on the ground, bandaged and empty. It hurt him to see Sapnap like that, in pain.

Dream guessed that he was in the same boat. George dies and him and Sapnap get suckered into an exhausting and painful adventure with no promises or proof of reward. An endless goose chase they were probably going to die while doing.

But it was all worth it, right? To get George back?

Dream felt ill. His stomach turned and grumbled at him in dismay. It wasn't as painful as when he vomited paper but it still hurt.

He got his knees, burnt foot screaming at him as he shifted his weight, leaning over the edge. He felt disgusting. 

Dream heaved every few moments, elbows digging into the ashen stone beneath him, clothes becoming grimier than they were. It felt like his stomach was trying to jump out of his body, refusing to let everything else go. He wished that it would.

The sound of his own gagging and the burning of his flushed face was overwhelming. All outside noise had become obsolete. The way his clothing dug into his skin in areas frustrated him.

Tears grew in his eyes. He wanted to give up, as he looked down, a few meters above the blindingly, blue grass. He wondered if a fall from that height would kill him, if he let his body go and slumped over the edge. His muscles were tense and he wanted them to let go.

He heaved one last time before his stomach let go, vomit pooling over the edge and burning his throat. He coughed and gagged a few more times before pulling himself up and setting himself down next to Sapnap. He grabbed his hand for a second, rubbing his cracked skin over Sapnap's.

Dream laughed to himself. If he died then, it would be fine, right? If his soul up and left his body he'd be fine with it. Maybe it would. It fucking felt like it.

  
  


Dream had tasted the water. It tasted fine, perfect actually, but he could see the green out of the bottom of his eyes and knew that it wasn't as good as it tasted.

Sapnap had handed it to him, it was a quarter of the way empty, but he, and he drank it quickly without thinking. After finishing it he held it out with a stern face.

"Why'd you give this to me? Sapnap we can't just use the water. We hardly have any!" His voice was dry.

"You were gonna die from dehydration, fuckass. We're moving today. I read the book."

Dream grumbled, putting the water bottle back in the bag. He stood up, stumbling slightly and leaning into Sapnap for support.

"How bad is your foot?"

"It's fine, it doesn't stop me from doing anything."

Sapnap set a hand on his arm and squeezed it, "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go."

Dream watched as Sapnap carefully picked up George's pickaxe, taking a deep breath, and monged a staircase down the wall. Dream followed a little behind so he didn't have to leave Sapnap's side.

Dream breathed heavily, over time he began to feel self conscious so his breathing became short and he recognized he should have been getting more oxygen but he couldn't seem to find it in himself to take deeper breaths.

Once on the ground, Sapnap led them through the forest quickly, making turns based on terrain and enderman  _ vwoops _ . That was something in this biome. The endermen. They weren't very hostile but just being around them made Dream's hair stand up.

Dream didn't enjoy enderman. They made him panic, make him feel like he needed to yell but he couldn't. It was a bubble in his chest.

Sapnap every once in a while would slow down and comfort him. He'd see Dream's eyes dart around and pull him aside to tell him that it's fine. They were almost to the library.

It only reminded him how thirsty and tired he was. He wanted it to be over, he wanted George back.

He had begun to get sick of the bright blue colors around him. They were sickenly bright and nothing like the home he missed so much.

The air started to get thicker and the fog he just realized had been purple turned blue. The blue grass beneath them started to drag his feet down. It was hard to walk om, especially with his burnt foot.

His lungs felt heavy and the sounds of the skeletal chatters around them made him want to cry. 

[ _ Sapnap has made the advancement  _ **_Hot Tourist Destination_ ** ]

[ _ Dream has made the advancement  _ **_Hot Tourist Destination_ ** ]

[ _ Achievement Description: Discover every nether biome.] _

Sapnap had taken the bow from Dream and was killing the skeletons around them before they could shoot them. There were only a few digging out of the ground every few minutes.

They had gotten to an area next to a ditch, in the distance they could see a large building, the library. It gleamed gently.

While mesmerized by the visage, Sapnap had slowed down with his skeleton killing and before Dream knew it, a skeleton chatters behind him.

He whips his head around, dragging his burnt foot through the sand, rubbing and the raw skin. He sees as an arrow narrowly misses his torso and Dream backs up, bumping into Sapnap.

Sapnap startles before seeing what was happening and getting his bow ready. Sapnap shoots, hitting the skeleton and hit puffs but only after the skeleton shot one last arrow.

It flies through the air and lands itself quick and painful in Dream thigh. Dream yells and stumbles, reaching behind him before knocking into Sapnap again.

This time Sapnap falls too, slipping on the edge of the ditch, loose sand taking Sapnap's foot with it and he tumbles down. Sapnap gets buried underneath the sand.

Dream, although in blinding pain, slips down into the ditch, trying to dig Sapnap out. He eventually does and Sapnap gags and coughs on the sand.

Dream gets out their last water bottle. He looks at the library and the ditch they are in and considers. They were almost out, he could give Sapnap the water.

Sapnap drinks the water in one gulp, dropping the glass with shaky hands. He coughs some more before being alerted back to their situation.

He takes one look at where Dream was shot, it bled quickly, Dream just noticed, and his whole leg throbbed painfully, but comforting.

"Dream." Sapnap's voice graveled out.

Dream laughs shakily, shaking his head and leaning on Sapnap slightly.

Dream watches as Sapnap's gaze moves past him and becomes brighter. He glances behind him to see that the ditch they were in opened up into a tunnel lit by glowstone, leading to the library.

_ Huh. Convenient. _

Sapnap had begun to lead Dream down the tunnel. Each step was another gush of blood and strike of pain. Dream would look behind him every few seconds to look at the blood train and how it split every few inches because of his steps.

It was memorizing in a way.

Dream collapsed right as the tunnel led up in a steady staircase. Sapnap heaved him up, dropping him once but quickly getting back to pulling him up. Sapnap leaned him against a wall just as his eyes started to want to close.

"Hey, Dream. You're gonna be alright bud."

Dream laughs at that, "Love you."

Sapnap shakes his head, "I love you too, but please don't do this."

Dream tries to lift his head, he can't and he gives up.

"What's today?" Dream asks.

"Uh--" Sapnap thinks for a second before responding. "Sunday, I think."

Dream exhales. "Happy Birthday." Dream says with faux cheer. "I guess this is kind of a shit present."

Sapnap chokes out a laugh. Dream sees a tear fall onto the ground.

"Damnit Dream."

"Oh,  _ come on. _ It's fine. Don't cry."

"You're _ dying _ . In front of me."

"Just finish this up."

Dream hears Sapnap sniff and choke up. 

"You suck."

Sapnap lifts Dreams head up a little just to get a look at his face.

"Ah, there's my beautiful boy." Dream gasps out. Sapnap's eyes were red and he was crying.

"No-- Dream--"

"Its okay, I'm fine."

"No you aren't."

"It's okay."

"It's not. You're gonna die, Dream."

Dream manages a weak smile and one tear before he drags his head out of Sapnap's hands and leans against the wall.

"Wait here." And a sniff was the last thing he heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn. Sorry for whoever was rooting for them. I did have a good laugh at that comment though. You guys are so pure.
> 
> My tumblr is Shock-Value. You can interact with me there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

The first thing Sapnap had found had been the cauldron of healing potion and the first thing he heard from  _ The End _ had been  _ "He's dead." _ .

And once again if Sapnap had acted faster or done one thing different, someone he loved wouldn't have died.

_ "On your birthday too." _

The voice had sounded out all around him, the walls hummed in tune with the words. They sounded blue. Different from the first time. The first time sounded-- red? No. Green.

Sapnap had scoffed, tears stuck in his eyes, unable to fall as much as he wished them to. His head ached and the tinted lighting of the biome made his eyes hurt. He rubbed at them and slowly lowered himself to the ground. He was tired. Very tired but he couldn’t properly rest where he was now. He had to get out.

“What now.” Sapnap whispered into the ceiling.

_ Well, now you have to put the respawn anchor in the center of the compass and take the lodestone to the overworld. _

Green had answered. Sapnap looks around.

“What compass?”

_ The large disk in the center of the room. It has lecterns surrounding it.  _ Answered Blue.

Sapnap walks over to the large disk. It did look like a compass, a needle was spinning aimlessly in the center under a glass layer.

“Why?”

_ This library controls respawns. _

_ The books on these library shelves are log books. _

_ A copy of every log book shows up here eventually and is put on the shelves. _

_ We are supposed to put books on the lecterns for players to respawn. _

_ But someone broke the respawn function years ago. _

_ We need the respawn anchor as a replacement. _

_ That's why we made one. _

_ That’s why we instructed you to get it. _

Sapnap listened, his headache getting worse.

“If it’s been gone for years then why not have someone else do this for you.”

_ It took a while to develop the technology. _

_ After that, no players had died in a long time. _

_ Everyone we asked took it as a fake offer and left it. _

The voices had started answering in alternating sentences. The colors lost to the quick words.

“Who did you ask?”

_ Wilbur Soot. _

_ Fundy. _

_ Eret. _

_ Technoblade. _

_ Tubbo. _

_ Tubbo accepted but misstepped. _

“Isn’t Tubbo missing?”

_ He is lost in the void. _

_ We can get them out with this. _

“Who else?”

_ Skeppy. _

_ Skeppy had accepted. _

Sapnap whispers back, “Skeppy’s dead.”

_ He died on his way here. _

Sapnap coughs, he hated this.

“Why not just get the items here yourself? Seems like you’re all powerful, why not just make the stuff where it's supposed to be in the first place?

_ We are stuck here. _

_ Someone locked us inside. _

_ We needed outside assistance. _

Sapnap grumbles. Rubbing his eyes again he carefully pulls the respawn anchor out of his bag and looks for where to put it. 

There's a darker piece of metal in the center of the disk.

_ There. _

Sapnap places it down.

There’s a noise close to banging metal and particles fill the air. Blue and green specks brushed against his body and began to heal his injuries. His eyes still felt heavy, though.

Very old looking books began floating in the air circling around the compass and pages fluttering.

_ There is a nether portal. _

_ Leave and place the lodestone. _

_ People will respawn if they want. _

_ It is their choice. _

_ It will take a few days for newer deaths to be respawned. _

_ You will see your friends soon. _

Sapnap stepped off the compass looking at Dream's corpse and muttering a small sorry. 

He looked for the nether portal, the bright purple caught his attention fairly quick and he moved towards it, lodestone in hand.

Going through a nether portal has always been nauseating to him, to everyone he thinks, and he hopes it's the last time he ever gets to experience that.

The overworld was a breath of fresh air.

He's in the village everyone wakes up in. It’s where everyone starts their adventure.

Sapnap sets down the lodestone, a loud noise covers the lands in a second and Sapnap gets out his log book and goes to the world wide chat.

The last message in it was Dream’s death message after Technoblade had asked what they were doing just like Wilbur had before. He considers what he was going to send.

[ _ Sapnap: Is anyone by spawn? I’m going to need some help. _ ]

He waits a few moments before anyone responds.

[ _ WilburSoot: I bet. What the fuck are you doing? _ ]

[ _ Sapnap: I just finished something I hope was worth it. _ ]

[ _ Technoblade: I’ll be there tomorrow. _ ]

[ _ WilburSoot: I will be there soon. _ ]

Sapnap sighs, a cold breeze covers the land, a dandelion shivers at it’s touch.

[ _ Sapnap: Thank you. _ ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's shorter than others. It's all that needed to be said in this chapter and the next one is the last so I hope you enjoyed. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~~  
> The End.
> 
> There's nothing more than that.
> 
> The End loves the show of pain from the useless.
> 
> There is merely nothing more than death.
> 
> A facade for the hopeful.  
> ~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary is what I would have written if it was a bad ending. <3

Sapnap had been sitting on top of a hill watching the sun begin to set, wind blowing at the tall grass, when Wilbur had found a seat next to him.

Sapnap saw Wilbur look out on the horizon from the corner of his eye.

"So…" Wilbur started cautiously, "George and Dream, huh?"

Sapnap breathed in the chilly air, it was floral.  _ Cornflowers. _

"Yeah."

Wilbur nodded, "Both skeletons?"

Sapnap laid on his back letting out a huff. "Or my idiocy, whatever works for you."

Wilbur scoffs and tilts his head to the sky. Sapnap follows, noticing the light stars coming out.

"Doubt that."

Sapnap huffs and lightly hits the ground with his heels, "If I acted fast enough both of them would be fine."

"Eh…" Wilbur trails off. "You went to the nether? Never liked that place much."

"No one likes that place."

Wilbur turns to him, "Then why were you there?"

"Taking up an offer you apparently turned down."

"What?"

"We were given an offer to get George back, we took it."

Wilbur hums a little squinting at the sun. "I think I remember an offer like that. To get Tommy back, thought it was a scam."

"Yeah well, there's just a set of gods stuck in the nether with a broken-- I think they said "respawn" thing?" Sapnap shakes his head and laughs humorously, "Worst thing I've ever done so I hope it's not a scam."

"Oh." Wilbur thinks. "So how does that all work."

"It's a library with log books and when the log books go on the lectern a person comes back to life."

"Sounds like something out of one of Tubbo's old story books." Wlbur laughs, "Any chance this'll bring him back too?"

"Those gods said so."

Wilbur's eyebrows furrowed, "Where is he? He's not dead is he?"

Sapnap shakes his head, the grass poked at his neck, "Lost in the void, I think is what they said."

"Sounds all too good to be true. Getting my family back is all I've wanted but it's always been impossible."

"I hope this is real."

Wilbur hums, "It's late we should get in one of the houses." 

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

  
  


Sapnap woke up to Wilbur kicking his bed and shaking him, "Sapnap-- It's not fake, Bad's back."

And although it hurt and his bones felt like they were going to shatter, he had run to meet Bad. His old friend.

"Bad!" Sapnap's voice had cracked a little as he went to go hug him.

"Hey muffinhead-- Wilbur said you brought me back to life?" Bad sounded tired.

"Oh fuck-- I did didn't I?" Sapnap let himself laugh, "I missed you Bad, I wish you never died."

"Yeah, It wasn't nice. I've missed you too though." Bad looked around them, "how long have I been dead?"

"Almost four years."

"Wow-- is Skeppy okay?"

"He died 2 years ago. He should come back like you did, though."

"Oh. I think I need to think about some things. Sorry Sapitus, but I'm gonna go take a walk."

Sapnap let go of Bad and smiled. "Okay see you later."

Sapnap sees a few more people he didn't know show up in the village. They tended to saunter off eventually or pick a house to rest in. He eventually finds Wilbur waiting by the nether portal that spawned when Sapnap came from the nether.

"Why wait here?"

"They show up here when they come back."

"Oh."

They sit in silence for a few hours, Wilbur telling a new person a rundown on what's happening before going back to leaning on a house.

Wilbur and Sapnap had engaged in a small conversation, to pass the time that was weighing down on them.

"Tommy?"

Wilbur and Sapnap snap their heads to the new voice. They watched as Techno dropped from his horse and rushed past them.

"Wait," Wilbur whispered. "Tommy?" 

Wilbur leaves Sapnap on the side of his house. Sapnap sees Techno holding a wide eyed Tommy, Wilbur close by. Techno looks at Wilbur and pulls him into their hug.

Sapnap smiles and goes to leave them. He could hear a quiet question from Tommy, "Ar _ en't I dead?" _ . 

Sapnap smiles and walks away for good. That wasn't for him, that was their family.

  
  


Skeppy had left to meet with bad as soon as he came back. Sapnap figures that if he died looking for someone then he'd want to go find them if he had a chance at coming back.

  
  


Sapnap hadn't been able to sleep. Memories haunted him that night for far too long.

He stepped out of the village house he was staying in and wandered out to the portal area. Just to watch and see if anyone comes back.

He had been startled when Tubbo walked out of the portal. It had been quick and the somehow backwards sound of the portal beignused shocked him down to his bones.

"Wow."

"Tubbo." Sapnap greeted him with a nod.

"Oh! Sapnap. You would not be- _lieve_ how horrible it is to be in the void. It was _so_ _cold_ and boring."

Sapnap laughed quietly. "I bet. Why did you come out of this portal?"

Tubbo's eyes lit up, "Well! I had been taken to this cool library place and there were gods or something that started talking and explaining things to me.

"You see-- I  _ knew _ I was in the void for a long while but I didn't think I was gone that long."

Sapnap laughs again. "Yeah, your family misses you."

"Is Wilbur here? Techno?"

"Yeah, and Tommy."

"Whe--" Tubbo's face falls, "Tommy? I feel so bad for not getting him sooner."

"That's okay, I got him back so it doesn't matter." Sapnap looks up to the sky, the moon and stars shone down. "They're probably sleeping right now but they are set up in the house at the end of this road."

Sapnap gestures to a gravel path, one like many others in the village. "The door is a spruce one I believe, they changed it from oak."

Tubbo looks down the road, face bright and smiling. "Got it, thank you Sapnap." Tubbo waves and leaves.

Sapnap almost falls asleep on the road there. The sun would be coming up in a few hours and the inflow of people had slowed down significantly. It had been a very exhausting week.

Just as Sapnap was going to nod off he hears shuffling, he's heard it before from startled people who come back, it was nothing new.

"I--What--"

_ George. _

Sapnap thought too fast to talk but he very quickly got up and found himself next to George. A very alive and not blood covered George.

George met his eyes, he had a hand rubbing at his throat.

"Sapnap?"

Sapnap doesn't answer him, he just hugs him and holds him head up to George's chest. George's heartbeat filled his ear and Sapnap's tears stained George's shirt. It was the first shirt Sapnap had ever seen George in. Blue with a red box on it reading ' _ supreme' _ .

"Not this boring shirt." Sapnap whispers happily into George's chest.

"Sapnap." George pushes him away while still holding onto him, George breathed heavily. "How am I not dead?"

Sapnap held onto George's arms and explained what happened, all the pain and suffering.

"Dream died?" George looked far away, Sapnap fell back into George and cried more.

"We missed you." Sapnap whispered.

"I'm here now."

Sapnap laughed quietly, "I love you."

George held onto him tighter, "I love you, too."

George had hardly ever said it to them, they had always known so he didn't have to, but it felt special.

"Let's get to bed, I'm tired and you definitely haven't slept."

Sapnap and George had fallen asleep quickly. A quick kiss was shared before a couple more tears and they slept in each other's arms.

  
  


"Glad to see you back, George." Wilbur once again had woken up Sapnap.

"Glad to see you don't hate me by association anymore."

"Listen-- that was Dream and Techno's thing, it was also before Sapnap got Tommy back."

Sapnap heard George scoff. "'Twas still stupid."

"I admit it was kind of stupid."

"Can you guys be any louder?" Sapnap said, turning over in the bed.

Wilbur laughs and George leans on the bed to nudge him.

"Oh-- that reminds me why I'm here."

"You've been here for five minutes and you had something to tell us and hadn't yet?" 

Wilbur smiles, "Of course!"

"Well?" George asked as Sapnap got out of the bed.

"Dream is back."

"Where?" Sapnap asks loudly.

"Techno took him to the hill we met up on, Dream seemed a little out of it. Techno wanted to apologise for the shit he's said but they should be done now."

"Thanks Wilbur."

Sapnap quickly takes George's hand and leads him, running, to the hill.

"Sapnap-- slow down, I'm tired."

Sapnao doesn't slow down, he just lets go of George's hand and tells him to hurry up because the top of the hill could be seen now. Dream could be seen too, shaking hands with Techno.

"Dream!" Sapnap yells up the hill.

They could see Dream turn around and take his hand from Techno before walking towards them as fast as he could probably manage.

They meet halfway up the hill, Dream has tears in his eyes as he pulls Sapnap into a hug, crying softly.

"You're fucking stupid." Sapnap tells Dream.

"I'm sorry, I love you." 

"Whatever you idiot."

They hold each other for a moment.

"Dream?" George asks from behind them.

Dream lets go of Sapnap, surprised, "George?"

Dream laughs through his tears as he pulls George into a hug. After a second they pull Sapnap in too.

This was Sapnap's family.

"I love you guys."

"Awe, Sapnap. You don't need to get all soft now." 

"Shut up, Dream."

Dream laughs, blinking away the last of his tears and giving Sapnap a kiss before George.

"Gross, brush your teeth, idiot." George tells Dream but he's smiling.

Sapnap's smiling too.

It smelled like cornflowers and on the side of the hill that morning they felt inseparable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Thank you guys for all your kind comments and all the kudos I really love reading them. I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Tumblr is Shock-Value for anyone who would like to come interact with me.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one is done. I'll update whenever I can. Comments and kudos will help me stay motivated to write this. Also Sap could have saved George but his heart is too big and he wanted pie.


End file.
